Workstations, laptops, servers, and other computers are frequently part of a network. Smart phones, bar code scanners, other code scanners, and other mobile devices are also frequently networked. Other networked devices may range from printers and fax machines to vehicles and GPS-equipped items, for example. In short, a network may contain a wide variety of devices, whose status generally changes over time. Some networks, including some which are managed by a large business, government agency, educational institution, or other enterprise, contain thousands or even tens of thousands of devices.
Network management systems (NMS) are sometimes used to discover a network's inventory of devices, to monitor the health and status of networked devices, and to provide alerts when conditions appear likely to impact network performance. An NMS may help administrators and other users identify problems and their sources, and help prevent problems. Some NMS systems also collect device statistics over time, such as resource (memory, processor, disk, battery, etc.) usage and performance. An NMS may also read and/or write device configurations, check for and/or distribute software updates, and provide security through device tracking, for example. Various protocols are used to gather information from the devices in a managed network.